Deciding to leave: the politics of retirement from the United States Supreme Court

Deciding to Leave......Page 4
Contents......Page 6
List of Illustrations and Tables......Page 10
Preface......Page 12
1. The Politics of Departure in the U.S. Supreme Court......Page 16
DEPARTURE IN COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE......Page 27
DEPARTURE POLITICS IN HISTORICAL CONTEXT: EMERGENT AND RECURRENT STRUCTURES......Page 30
OVERVIEW......Page 36
2. 1789–1800: Traveling Postboys......Page 40
INDISPOSITION AND THE EARLY SUPREME COURT......Page 42
DISAGREEABLE TOURS......Page 43
CONCLUSION......Page 55
3. 1801–1868: Crippled Courts......Page 58
ARMY OF JUDGES......Page 59
IMMINENT DANGER OF SUDDEN DEATH......Page 63
NEEDY AND HALF-PAID MEN......Page 66
ABRIDGMENT OF TENURE, FACILITY OF REMOVAL, OR SOME OTHER MODIFICATION......Page 70
IF MR. CLAY HAD BEEN ELECTED......Page 74
CONCLUSION......Page 82
4. 1869–1896: Old Imbeciles on the Bench......Page 84
DANGEROUS IN ITS OPERATION......Page 87
1869 RETIREMENT ACT......Page 90
THE DISPUTED ELECTION OF 1876......Page 96
THE EVARTS ACT......Page 104
CONCLUSION......Page 109
5. 1897–1936: Old Fools and Young Spirits......Page 110
THE FIELD EFFECT......Page 111
EVARTS ACT REDUX......Page 116
INCREASED CASELOADS: BOWING TO THE INEVITABLE......Page 128
CONCLUSION......Page 139
6. 1937–1954: Senior Status......Page 142
A WAR WITH A FOOL AT THE TOP......Page 144
1937 RETIREMENT ACT......Page 151
UNTIMELY DEATHS......Page 158
CONCLUSION......Page 165
7. 1954–1970: The Limits of Power......Page 168
1954 RETIREMENT ACT......Page 173
CANTANKEROUS FELLOWS......Page 176
AN EXTRACONSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENT......Page 183
CONCLUSION......Page 190
8. 1971–1999: Appointed for Life......Page 192
HE OUGHT TO GET OFF THE COURT TOO......Page 193
OLD AND COMING APART......Page 207
CONCLUSION......Page 224
9. 2000–Present: A Self-Inflicted Wound......Page 226
THE DISPUTED ELECTION OF 2000: BUSH V. GORE......Page 228
THAT’S FOR ME TO KNOW AND YOU TO FIND OUT......Page 232
CONCLUSION......Page 237
10. Conclusion: Imaginary Danger?......Page 240
ABILITY AND INABILITY......Page 244
THE RULE OF 100......Page 248
LIGHTENING THE BURDEN......Page 252
MANDATORY RETIREMENT......Page 255
CONCLUSION......Page 262
Appendix A: Letter from Byron White to Warren Burger, October 20, 1975......Page 264
Appendix B: Letter from Warren E. Burger, William J. Brennan, Jr., Potter Stewart, Byron R.White, Thurgood Marshall, Harry A. Blackmun, Lewis F. Powell, and William H. Rehnquist to William O. Douglas, December 22, 1975......Page 268
Appendix C: Letter from John Paul Stevens to William H. Rehnquist, October 28, 1988......Page 270
CHAPTER 1......Page 274
CHAPTER 2......Page 279
CHAPTER 3......Page 283
CHAPTER 4......Page 287
CHAPTER 5......Page 291
CHAPTER 6......Page 297
CHAPTER 7......Page 302
CHAPTER......Page 308
CHAPTER 9......Page 320
CHAPTER 10......Page 323
Bibliography......Page 328
B......Page 344
C......Page 346
D......Page 347
F......Page 348
H......Page 349
J......Page 350
L......Page 351
M......Page 352
P......Page 353
R......Page 354
S......Page 355
U......Page 357
W......Page 358
Z......Page 359